Effective methods for treating osteochondrosis at home

As you know, osteochondrosis is a chronic pathology caused by degenerative changes in the structure of the spine. Unfortunately, 8 out of 10 people in the adult population suffer from osteochondrosis.

The pathology can begin in youth (20-25 years old), gradually becoming more complicated with new manifestations. In general, lumbar, thoracic and cervical osteochondrosis are distinguished.

Symptoms of the disease

Osteochondrotic lesions of the cervical spine are characterized by:

• Boring pain in the neck and back of the head (cervicalgia);
• If the vertebral artery is damaged, the activity of the nerve centers responsible for normalizing pressure indicators is disturbed, so hypertension is often a concomitant pathology of osteochondrosis;
• During the development of cervical osteochondrosis, compression of the spinal artery occurs, which provokes the occurrence of symptoms such as strange sounds in the ears, dizziness and visual disturbances, paroxysmal headaches;
• Pain in the heart that radiates to the shoulder blade and neck, similar to the pain of angina pectoris.

Lumbar osteochondrosis is characterized by symptoms:

• Severe pain resulting from compression of the spinal nerve roots, as well as the venous-arterial pathways that supply nutrition to the spinal cord;
• When the lower lumbar roots are affected, the disease is accompanied by sharp pains in the outer part of the legs, which turn into decreased sensitivity in this area;
• Often, lumbar osteochondrosis is manifested by sharp pains that go from the lower back to the legs, later this symptom is replaced by a decrease in sensitivity in the lower extremities;
• With the development of complications in the form of intervertebral hernia, manifestations such as weakness in the legs, lower back pain, decreased muscle tone and sensitivity of the legs, and weakness of the leg muscles (paresis) appear.

Manifestations of thoracic osteochondrosis:

• In upper injuries, pain is observed in the abdomen, chest, shoulder and scapula;
• Lower injuries are accompanied by decreased sensitivity of the lower thoracic vertebrae, accompanied by dysfunction of the pelvic organs. When moving or sneezing, the pain increases;
• In rare cases, thoracic osteochondrosis causes spinal compression, which is characterized by local pain radiating to the intercostal space, abdomen, groin or lower extremities, weakness and numbness in the legs, and disturbances in the activity of the pelvic organs.

Treatment options

In the treatment of osteochondrosis, a whole range of therapeutic techniques is used:

1. Drug therapy;
2. Physiotherapy (massage procedures, physiotherapy, etc. );
3. Diet therapy;
4. Corrective therapy;
5. Ethnoscience;
6. Surgery.

How to treat cervical, thoracic and lumbar osteochondrosis at home

Each of the methods of anti-osteochondrosis therapy is aimed at relieving pain with its subsequent elimination, normalizing the course of vertebral structural processes and restoring the root activity of the spine.

Drug therapy

Drug therapy for osteochondrosis is based on several areas:

1. Symptomatic therapy is aimed at eliminating pain and involves the use of anti-inflammatory drugs. Along with anti-inflammatories, patients are prescribed muscle relaxants from the muscle relaxant group;
2. Treatment aimed at normalizing blood circulation involves the use of vasodilators;
3. Cartilaginous tissue restorative therapy is based on the use of chondroprotective medications;
4. Vitamin therapy is based on taking vitamin complexes;
5. Treatment with antidepressants is used to alleviate anxiety and depressive conditions, which frequently occur in patients in a context of limited movement and pain caused by osteochondrosis.
6. Therapy with herbal preparations often helps to significantly alleviate the condition of patients, since such medicines restore the body's immune defense, sleep and strength, and prevent depression.

Physiotherapy activities

Quite effective in combating osteochondrosis are physiotherapeutic measures that:

• Helps eliminate pain syndrome;
• Increase the range of motor skills;
• Improve and facilitate the course of immunological processes;
• Normalize blood circulation;
• Normalize metabolic processes;
• Provide a reduction in the therapeutic dosage of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics.

Physiotherapy has many varieties. In anti-osteochondrosis treatment, the following are most often used:

1. Electrotherapy involves carrying out procedures associated with the influence of electric current, such as electrophoresis, galvanization, electrosleep, darsonvalization and others using special devices;
2. Shock wave therapy is carried out with devices that convert an electrical impulse into an ultrasonic wave which, acting on the spine affected by osteochondrosis, accelerates the healing of damaged bone and cartilage tissue, eliminates pain and swelling;
3. Balneotherapy involves the use of mineral waters and mud, after exposure to which improves blood supply, relieves pain and normalizes material metabolism;
4. Magnetotherapy - this device is based on the use of a constant magnetic field created by special inductors that are placed in the affected vertebral areas;
5. Laser therapy is based on the use of special lasers which, when acting on the affected tissues, contribute to their restoration.

All physiotherapeutic methods provide symptomatic treatment of osteochondrosis, relieve inflammation and pain, reduce the course of treatment and the dosage of medications taken.

Diet

Since anti-osteochondrosis therapy is complex, it requires a rationally balanced diet.

For patients with this disease, it is extremely important to limit fluid, salt and simple carbohydrate intake. They need to be removed from the diet:

• Alcohol;
• Drinks such as cocoa, coffee and strong tea;
• Pickles and spicy dishes;
• Products very rich in extractive substances (mushrooms, fatty fish, poultry, meat, etc. ).

Since osteochondrosis causes the destruction of intervertebral cartilage, its restoration requires animal proteins, rich in dairy products, lean fish or meat.

Jellied meat or broth prepared from the boiled bones of beef or pork legs are especially useful for these patients. This broth is rich in collagen, which gives additional strength to bone and cartilage tissue.

Exercises to improve health

Therapeutic exercises play an equally important role in the treatment of osteochondrosis, in addition, they are considered the most effective method in combating the destruction of bone and cartilage cells, help to strengthen muscle and joint tissues, ensure mobility of the spine and help restore of damaged tissues.

When performing physiotherapeutic exercises, several simple conditions must be observed:

1. The movements should not cause severe pain attacks or any discomfort, if such an effect occurs it is necessary to discuss the situation with a doctor;
2. It is not possible to perform exercises during periods of exacerbation of the disease, otherwise the painful symptom may increase or complications may arise;
3. It is necessary to perform the exercises gently, avoiding sudden movements.

The necessary set of exercises is selected by the doctor in accordance with the patient's condition and the degree of development of osteochondrosis.

Massage

Massage procedures help improve blood circulation and have a relaxing effect on the patient's muscles. The massage begins with light movements and then moves on to rubbing and kneading. Massage can be done with your hands or with special objects such as pots.

Cupping massage for osteochondrosis helps relieve muscle tension and activate metabolic processes in affected tissues due to improved blood and lymph flow. Acupressure, which involves influencing active points on the spine, has no less therapeutic effect.

ethnoscience

Traditional medicine, which has many recipes for various massages and compresses, can also help in the treatment of osteochondrosis. Thanks to folk remedies that increase blood flow, it is possible to relieve pain and relax muscles.

These tools are based on:

• Essential oils (fir, etc. );
• melted lard;
• Camphor;
• badger fat;
• Honey;
• Poison from bees, snakes;
• Roots and medicinal herbs such as aloe leaves, birch or horseradish, garlic, ginger, red pepper.

They are combined with alcohol, iodine and turpentine, which results in a local irritating effect. Mustard baths (200 grams of powder per water bath) are excellent for relieving sudden acute pain.

Orthopedic accessories

A good complement to the home treatment of osteochondrosis would be the use of orthopedic accessories that guarantee complete relaxation of the spine during a night's rest.

Therefore, during sleep, it is necessary to take a correct and comfortable body position.

High-quality mattresses and orthopedic pillows can help with this. Thanks to the use of such devices, the spine will be completely relaxed at night, which will eliminate symptoms and improve the patient's condition.

Osteochondrosis can be treated independently, the main thing is to observe the regularity, consistency, complexity of procedures and coordinate all actions with a specialist.